Visiting:
Islands, Cities and Volcanoes of Indonesia
From Bali to Singapore, set sail aboard Le Jacques Cartier for a 15-day expedition cruise to the heart of fascinating Indonesia. Take a unique trip to discover the world’s largest archipelagic state, featuring ancient temples and modern cities, impenetrable jungle and majestic volcanoes, historic towns and chains of idyllic islands. And of course, there will be precious encounters with a diverse population.
You will reach Probolinggo, one of the access points to Mount Bromo. This active volcano in the Tengger mountains stands 2,329 metres tall in the middle of a protected nature reserve. When your ship calls at Semarang, a cosmopolitan city with Chinese, Indo-Arab and European influences, you will visit the incredible site of Borobudur. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this monumental Buddhist temple compounds from the 8th and 9th centuries is home to some 240 temples. Next, Le Jacques Cartier will set a course for the south-western tip of Java. On the edge of the Sunda Strait, you will discover Ujung Kulon National Park. In addition to being a place of great natural beauty and of geological interest, notably for the study of island volcanoes, the park contains the largest remaining area of lowland rainforests on the island. It also includes the Krakatau Nature Reserve, and you will have the chance to observe the volcano during a unique sailing experience. You will sail along the west coast of Sumatra and call at Bengkulu, a former trading centre of the British East India Company, before reaching the Mentawais, a group of heavenly islands edged with beaches of white sand and covered in jungle. You will stop at one of these deserted beaches to swim and explore the underwater environment with a mask and snorkel. Further north, the Nias Archipelago is known for its unique megalithic culture and its spellbinding traditional music. The Simeulue archipelago, which includes the Banyak Islands, is a mix of atolls, cays and islets featuring numerous beaches of white sand, coral reefs, and clear, warm tropical waters. There, you will discover Pulau Asok, a lagoon ideal for beach walking and swimming thanks to its gently sloping, unspoiled beaches lined with coconut trees. Next, your ship will round the northern tip of Sumatra via Banda Aceh. The city has been entirely rebuilt after being ravaged by the Boxing Day 2004 tsunami. This fabulous odyssey continues as the glorious shoreline of West Malaysia slowly emerges before you. You will sail the Malacca Strait, the former strategic crossroads on the silk and spice roads, to discover the beautiful cities of Penang and Malacca, UNESCO World Heritage Sites with fascinating Asian, Portuguese and Dutch heritage. In Singapore, city-State on the edges of the Orient, you will be seduced by the unique multicultural atmosphere of this “garden city”, home to wonderful botanical tropical gardens, UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
When searching for a luxury yacht expedition cruise, there’s one name above all else that you need to know – Ponant Cruises. Founded in 1988 by former French Merchant Navy officers, Ponant combines succulent luxury with authentic adventures on all seven continents.
From classic Mediterranean itineraries and Caribbean sailings, to bucket-list expeditions around Greenland and Antarctica, Ponant cruises proudly counteract the banality of mainstream voyages with a unique take on the concept of small-ship cruising. It’s the absolute trip of a lifetime.
In keeping with the philosophy of PONANT and the PONANT EXPLORERS, Le Jacques-Cartier combines the desire for adventure with five-star travel. A modern ship with slender, tapered lines, it is environmentally friendly and equipped with innovative technology.
Related Cruises
Cruising the Aegean: Turkey and the Greek Isles - with Smithsonian Journeys
- 7 Nights
- Le Dumont-d'Urville
Cruising the Greek Islands of the Southern Aegean - with Smithsonian Journeys
- 7 Nights
- Le Dumont-d'Urville